Souls and Embers
by Krashnburn
Summary: Though the abyss had consumed him, the chosen undead had granted him a release in death. However, fate decided that it was not yet time for his eternal rest. Indeed, it is the very nature of the soul to seek out light, and so our hero begins his journey anew, reborn into the world of Remnant.
1. A Soul Reborn

**A Soul Reborn**

Darkness, nothing but the cold black void death was visible to Artorias as he floated in limbo. The chosen undead had done it, he had defeated him and crushed Manus, thus saving Oolacile and halting the encroaching abyss. Poor Ciaran, he thought, still mourning over his death. He would miss seeing her smile. Hawkeye Gough, his trusted ally, he never did manage to prize from him how he could always hit his targets without ever needing to see them. He was glad that his friend had assisted the nameless hero in defeating the abyss, and had one last bout with a dragon, his massive greatbow slaying the beast. Sif, his faithful companion. He had done all he could to safeguard her from the dangers of the abyss, and thanks to the one who took up the mantle of his duty, she too was safe.

He remained formless in death, his soul a faint glimmer of what it once was. For how long he existed like this, he did not know. Then, all of a sudden, a light shone in the darkness, and a voice called out to him.

"Knight Artorias, wouldst thou rise again to fight the darkness?"

Even though he did not recognize the voice, there was no hesitation as he reached for the light answering "Yes."

* * *

Groggy, tired, and sore. Waking up in the middle of a forest tends to leave one in a state of disarray.

"By the light of Lord Gwyn, my head does feel as if it might split open!" Screamed Artorias. Coming back from the dead had not exactly been the healthiest of endeavors. Resting on his knees, he looked to his hands and saw that he once again held his greatshield in his left hand, while a darker more corroded weapon remained in his right. Though the darkness was gone from it, the memory of what it represented remained. The thought crossed his mind to be rid of the weapon, only to rescind it. Better that he kept it as a reminder of what his pride had gotten him into, and to remind him of what he fights for. Stretching, he reached his hand up to his head only to notice his helmet was gone, his shaggy black hair hanging just above his eyes. He began to stand up when he heard the sounds of footsteps behind him. Not wasting a moment, he spun around with his sword pressed against the mysterious person's throat, only to go wide-eyed and lower it upon seeing who it was. "Ciaran?" he asked.

Indeed, it was his ally who had stood by him in Oolacile. She had all her armor but for her headgear, allowing her flowing blonde hair to flutter in the wind, and allowing him to see the look of scrutiny on her face rapidly replace with one of shock.

"Artorias?" She asked.

Nearly half a minute passed before his response came, too bewildered by her presence to immediately answer.

"Yes Ciaran, tis I, come back from death, I-" but his response was cut off as Ciaran did something that was entirely uncharacteristic of her, she leaped forward and embraced him, crying tears of joy. He returned the gesture, allowing her to prove to herself that he was indeed there, before coming to a realization.

"Ciaran," he said, and she took a step back to look at him, "why is it that mine eyes are level with yours?"

Indeed, examining his person, he took notice that many of his proportions were smaller than he recalled, if only by a little. Furthermore if he had to guess, she looked as if she were no older than seventeen. His musings were interrupted when a new voice spoke up from the edge of the clearing.

"Consider yourself fortunate, I have shrunk to nearly half of my stature."

Artorias and Ciaran turned to the new voice. Confusion took them until they recognized the greatbow in his hand, even if it was smaller than it used to be.

"Gough!" they both shouted in surprise, overjoyed to have another ally present. Then took a moment to observe him. It was true that he was nothing like his previous height, but he still stood a full head and a half above Artorias, short brown hair atop his head to match his-

"Gough! Thou can see with thine own eyes again!"

A great booming laugh came from the giant of a man as he replied. "Yes, I noticed that as well, I believe the cause to be that we have seemed to regress so greatly in age. Fear not however, my other sense have not dulled simply because I have been spoilt with vision again. Indeed, I can smell in the foliage another friend of ours, one who stood by you since she was but a pup."

Artorias' eyes widened at the mention of Sif. His faithful companion through many battles, and she was here. He turned to the direction that Gough had pointed and waited eagerly for her to emerge. He was instead surprised when a woman walked into the clearing, hair white as snow, and golden eyes. She was clad in what appeared to be grey fur pelts, used to create a tunic and trousers, and bore a sword on her back. Upon glimpsing the sword, Artorias recognized it immediately, after all, one does not simply forget their own weapon.

He narrowed his eyes at the new individual and spoke. "What be thine name, and how came thee by my sword?"

Instead of fear or anger, the new woman was surprisingly giddy, practically hopping in place, and proceeded to answer almost immediately. "Master Artorias, I found you!"

Not a moment had passed after she finished speaking when she leaped forward and embraced him, catching them all by surprise. After a few seconds he regained his composure and held her at arm's length.

"Who are you? I have seen no such person as you before." He asked.

"Master Artorias, it's me! Don't you remember your faithful companion? I even brought your sword for you!" she replied, still smiling widely, happy as can be.

Artorias was about to ask again when Ciaran spoke up. "Are those… dog ears on her head?"

Sure enough, there was a pair of white furry ears on top of her hair, surprised to see such a being. He needed answers, and so he proceeded to ask again.

"Who are you?"

She looked a little sad at the question, but replied all the same, "Master, it's me, Sif."

"…"

"…"

"…"

The three knights stood silent for an indiscernible amount of time, and then Artorias broke out of his stupor, facing her again.

"How is that possible?"

"I know not Master Artorias," she said, looking confused yet still elated, "all I recall was that a voice spoke unto me and said that they would grant me the chance to see thee again, and I did not hesitate to accept."

He pondered this for a few moments, certainly things have been strange in these last few minutes, but he still would not take this woman at her word without undeniable proof that she was indeed his faithful companion, and thus he devised a plan to find out.

"If you truly are she, tell me something that only Sif would know."

She looked excited and answered "Oh! Oh! I know!" She approached and whispered loud enough so only he would hear, a sly grin on her face. "Every night in Anor Londo you would write letters to Ciaran professing your undying love to her, but you would always burn them instead because you were too embarrassed to tell her of your feelings."

At the mention of his most embarrassing secret, his face began to take on a shade of red. Truly he was a young boy again to be flustered over such a thing. Taking a moment to compose himself, he realized that the answer was indeed something only Sif would know. "She speaks the truth, she is indeed Sif." He spoke with a smile, and then embraced her, glad to have another friend at hand, even if her form was different.

"So Master Artorias, will you be needing your weapon back?" she asked.

He eyed the weapon on her back and then shook his head, "Not yet Sif, it will serve you better than it has me, and I still have one here to make use of." He said, lifting the darkened sword in his hand. Then Gough let out a not-so-indiscreet cough.

"Are we going to further discuss the fact that not only are we smaller, but also seem to be aged no more than children? And now even this, Sif appears in a form similar to ours!" he asked.

Before any of them could respond, the loud guttural cry of a beast was heard, along with what sounded like a battle cry. They immediately ran off in the direction of the sound, reaching an open field and witnessing a rather bizarre sight. They saw eight young warriors fighting against black beasts, but that was not what gave them pause. It was the strange weaponry which many of them used that caused their confusion. Many of the weapons seemed to change at will and combust, creating great explosions of fire.

There was a scythe that was wielded by a girl nearly half its size, eviscerating the beasts one after another at impossible speeds. Another girl seemed to be using a rapier, using it to channel all manner of magics. There was a girl who threw punches that created explosions with burning red eyes, and another who created copies of herself to trick her opponents as she sliced across their backs. Further still was a joyous girl wielding a mighty hammer and a stoic boy with two strange weapons that seemed to project some kind of metal towards the beasts at extreme speeds. Then lastly was a pair of fighters who used Artorias' own sword and shield combo.

The four were only broken out of their stupor by a loud shrieking cry that came from the heavens. Looking up, they saw a great black bird with a white mask as it flew towards them. Artorias would hesitate no longer, strange land or no, the beasts of darkness would not be suffered to live.

"Gough!" he yelled behind him.

"As you wish." he replied.

In seconds, he had an arrow nocked and his bow drawn, and without missing a beat, released the arrow to seek its target. Moments later it pierced the beast's head clean through, leaving a hole where the arrow had gone. As it fell to the earth, Artorias noticed something odd about the beast. It was already decaying. Confused as he might have been on the matter however, he decided that such musings would best be saved for later, and that they should presently assist the young ones they had come across.

"Gough, stay here and send these fouls creatures back to the abyss. Ciaran, it is time for thy blade to strike down our enemies once more. Sif, you shall fight by my side in this glorious battle."

Each acknowledged his command as he charged forward, shouting a battle cry as he began to cleave into the beasts.

* * *

 **OK, so this story is basically me shamelessly exploiting the RWBY universe to insert Dark Souls characters because I think it would be freaking awesome.**

 **Now before anyone goes on about it, yes I am aware that the lore was never clear on whether Sif was male or female. However, for the purposes of the story (and for the sake of what I hope will be many hilarious situations) I have decided that it would suit the story better to have Sif as a girl. Also, the whole age regression thing is to make them fit in a bit more with the whole teenage warrior setting that the anime RWBY has going on. As for why I chose Sif rather than Ornstein to be the fourth member, when the other three are the Knights of Lord Gwyn, well that was because there is not much of a connection between Ornstein and them other than the fact that he's also one of the knights. It seemed to me that Sif would have a much stronger emotional bond with the group, Artorias especially given their lifelong companionship. Also, I don't think I need to explain why they are using Ye Olden Speak. I may adapt them slightly as time goes own, sort of showing how they adapt to this new world, but for now prepare, forsooth and verily henceforth they shall speaketh in ye olden tongue.**

 **Also I am absolutely open to ideas and/or suggestions for the story, I want other people to enjoy reading it after all.  
**


	2. Kindred Souls

**Kindred Souls**

They didn't know how they had gotten to this point, it was meant to be a routine mission. Search and destroy, only your average collection of Grimm that were a bit too close to the city, they would even get extra credit for writing about the various types they had fought out here as well. Instead they found themselves severely outnumbered, enemies on all sides. Things were looking extremely bleak when the Nevermore had arrived as well, but then, for the first time that day, they were pleasantly surprised. An arrow crashed into the Grimm at an extreme velocity, and before they could question where it had come from they saw a team of four warriors join the fray. Recovering from their surprise after a few moments, the leaders of team RWBY and JNPR began issuing orders to their respective teams.

"Close in, conserve ammunition and start making your way to the new guys!" Ruby shouted.

"Nora, clear a path, Ren watch her back. Pyrrha, you and I are gonna hold the rear while we move forward."

A series of replies and acknowledgements let them know that their orders had been heard, and they made their way towards the new arrivals. Their approach was slow but steady, carving a path through the horde of Grimm. They kept up this pattern of defense rather well for most of the distance, but as time wore on there were more and more of the Grimm. However, they began to notice that some of them were standing still, as if waiting for something. Then all at once, several of them dropped dead. Only Ruby, with her semblance of speed, was able to spot the blur of golden hair dashing around from one enemy to the next. The strikes she dealt seemed to do little damage to the Grimm, and yet moments later, each of those that had been struck fell. Unfortunately, Ruby's curiosity had distracted her too much, and she was caught off guard by a beowolf strike.

"Ruby!" Yang cried out, attempting to fight through to where her sister was. But there were too many of them and she would never make it.

As the Grimm glared down at her and she lay there weakened, tears flowed down her face as she shut her eyes, afraid to look. Yet instead of her frightening demise, she heard the sound of bone against metal, followed by the tearing of flesh. Opening her eyes she saw one of the four newcomers, a swordsman in blue, holding his shield high as he struck at the Grimm surrounding them. Then, hearing another sound, she noticed behind her as well was the faunus woman swinging wildly at the Grimm with a greatsword. Even though the weapons were not nearly as modern and complex as hers, she was awestruck by the level of skill that they had. The Grimm began to fall by the dozens, and they were pushing back the tide.

By this point in time, the students of Beacon and the newfound warriors had caught up to each other, fighting side by side as the Grimm horde began to dwindle, and the familiar sound of bullheads could be heard in the air. By the time they landed, most of the Grimm had retreated or died, and the eight students looked upon the four strangers in awe and confusion, at least until a particularly hyperactive teen decided to make conversation.

"Oh my gosh that was so awesome!" Ruby cried out. "You were all like 'swish, slash, stab' and they were all like 'grahh' and you were all like-" she was cut off by Yang placing her hand over her mouth.

"Ok Rubes, we get it, they're awesome." Then she turned to face the swordsman, "Thank you, by the way, for saving Ruby like that."

"Twas no trouble, thy companions were in peril, and I would be remiss in my duty as a knight were I not to aid thee in fighting these creatures of the dark." After he finished speaking, some of their confusion returned as they all had varying reactions to his answer.

"You certainly have a… unique manner of speaking." Said Weiss.

"That's one way to describe ye olden speak, Ice queen." Yang added, earning huff and a glare from the upset heiress.

"Indeed?" asked the swordsman, who then turned to his male ally, "Tis a strange land we find ourselves in. They speak in the same tongue, yet it is different, and they have flying chariots to ferry them hence."

"Ok," Yang interrupted any further musings they might have had, "Before we try to translate any more of what you guys are saying, can you at least tell us your names?"

"Of course," the swordsman replied, "I am the knight Artorias. My allies here are the knights Ciaran and Gough, as well as my most faithful companion Sif."

As they were introduced they each had varied responses. Ciaran stood half behind Artorias in a manner not unlike a ninja. Gough simply nodded his head absently as he looked at each of the Beacon students, almost as if he were searching for something. Sif's reaction was the least tense, simply wagging her tail freely at Artorias' compliment, at which point he instinctively began to pat her on the head, serving only to increase the speed of her tail wagging. Then Artorias noticed that they were all staring at Sif and began to worry, as she was different from how the rest of them were.

"I do hope my companion's appearance will not be cause for trouble." He said, half worried and half threatening.

Then Ruby spoke up with a friendly smile on her face, "Not at all, we don't have any problems with faunus, we were all just a bit surprised at how cute she was acting when you pet her."

"Faunus?"

"Yeah!"

"You mean there beings similar to her in this world?"

It was in this moment that Blake decided to speak up, having heard some of their quieter conversation earlier.

"What do you mean 'this world'?"

Artorias turned to address the raven haired girl, "I know of many distant lands and far off kingdoms in my own realm, yet none bear even the slightest resemblance to that which I have seen thus far. Tis also unlikely I remain in my own world as I had…" he trailed off, remembering his last moments in Oolacile before being plunged into the void. His face adopted a somber look, and at that moment he felt two hands on his shoulders. On his left, Sif simply bore a sympathetic smile as she wished for his happiness. To his right, Ciaran bore the same expression as Sif, gesturing with a small nod to let him know that it would be alright. Then, with a short sigh, he spoke again, "Tis unlikely I would be returned to a land in which I perished."

It was Weiss' turn to speak up, a slight look of unrest marking her features, "Perished? You mean you…?"

"Yes, it is not an experience which I am eager to recall."

None of them questioned him on the matter further, but then Gough stepped forward and stood in front of Jaune, staring down at the nervous knight before speaking.

"You possess a very powerful soul young warrior, the likes of which I had not yet seen in this land."

"Um… thank you?" the blonde knight replied nervously before his partner stepped forward to address the giant of a man.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Tis simple," he replied, "I can see beyond that which is material, and his soul shines brightly."

"You can… see souls?" she asked confusedly.

"Yes, twas an art which I perfected in ages past when my sight was taken from me."

"You're blind?" she asked, wondering how he managed to shoot all those Grimm without being able to see.

"Once, yes. Though being brought to this land has restored my sight it would seem. Though my other senses have not dulled merely because I have been granted my vision again. To wit, we should not linger here, the beasts prowl once again, and I imagine they will not take kindly to our presence."

Moments later, they were all aboard the bullheads and began to make their way back to Beacon. The four marveled at the metal contraption which they found themselves in. Well… three of them marveled, while one of them attempted not to release the contents of his stomach.

"By the gods!" Artorias cried out. "What being designed such a monstrosity that causes men to heave their bowels!?"

Laughter was heard all around at the return to normalcy after a difficult day of Grimm slaying, Ciaran mimicking the actions she observed being performed by the red haired swordsman with her partner, rubbing his back in circles. The rest of the trip was uneventful, but as they landed they were met by headmaster Ozpin and professor Goodwitch.

"Welcome back." He said, addressing his students. "I had heard from the pilot that we would be having visitors." Then he turned to face the new arrivals. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

Before one of the four could answer, Nora, being Nora, answered loudly and joyfully. "They're these cool knights that came from some other world where they fought bad guys and stuff and they're really strong!"

Professor Goodwitch seemed nonplussed at the answer given by the hyperactive girl, and looked to her stoic partner for an answer that was more normal. He simply shrugged, "It's true, as far as we can tell. They don't know anything about Remnant, but they are strong, stronger than most people I've ever seen."

That caused the blonde professor to raise her eyebrows, intrigued at the thought that what he was saying was actually true. Ozpin, an impassive look ever on his face, simply continued to drink his coffee as he approached Artorias. This did not go unnoticed by him or his allies, but before he could inquire as to his purpose, Ozpin spoke up first.

"I can sense a power within you, almost… dark. It's as if your soul is in a conflict between two forces, vying for control."

Artorias was surprised at the man's keen observation. It was true, he had noticed some influence of the dark within him. After all, one does not emerge from the Abyss unscathed, even in death. One day perhaps, he would have to face the darkness within himself, but for now he maintained control and decided to say as much.

"You need not fear for the safety of your charges." He said.

By now the rest of them seemed rather confused at what had just happened, seeing a rather tense mood between the headmaster and the swordsman. Then, in a fashion very much like him, Ozpin did a complete 180 and addressed them all in a pleasant tone.

"Well then, allow me to be the first to welcome you to my school. Professor Goodwitch here can help you with finding accomodations. I believe there is still a vacant dorm near teams RWBY and JNPR, right Glynda?"

"There is, follow me and I will show you to the room."

A few minutes later they arrived at the room, and after saying several goodnights and good morrows to RWBY and JNPR, they retired for the night, grateful for the respite of sleep, and wondering what the dawn would bring.

* * *

 **So I noticed some of the ideas being posted in the reviews. First off, the main reason I haven't used any characters from Dark Souls 2 is mostly because I don't know the lore behind those characters as well. In fact I'm actually playing through it right now and still haven't quite beaten it. Now, the thing about Gough and his comment to Jaune. We all know from the series that Jaune has a large amount of aura, and that aura is the manifestation of the soul. Since Gough was able to make his shots without his eyes, I simply assumed it was a combination of kickass hearing and some sort of soul sight. I kinda want to have some sort of friendship occur between Jaune and Artorias, because I feel like they are twin sides of the same coin. Jaune wants to be the hero to defend others and do good things but lacks in training, while Artorias has seen what comes of giving everything for a cause and would be able to guide him properly towards being a good warrior. I dunno, just felt it would be cool since their fighting styles would be pretty similar.**

 **Anyway, thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	3. A New Dawn

**A New Dawn**

Darkness surrounded him, the monsters of the abyss fell one after another as he struck them down, but countless more would rise to take their place. All the while he could hear a voice taunting him.

"Artorias, thou may have escaped my grasp, but thou shall never be free of the abyss. It is interwoven into the very being of thy soul."

"Lies!" he yelled defiantly back in the darkness, striking down another fiend.

"Thou art the Abysswalker. Embrace it, or thou shall perish."

"Thy words are false! I shall never succumb to the darkness!"

"Then doom has been sealed by thine own hand."

Then the darkness overtook him. He began to lose form as the creatures pressed him down, tearing away at his flesh, laughing maniacally at his cries of pain. He suffered in agony for what felt like an eternity until a light began to permeate the darkness, and he could hear a voice calling his name.

"-rias!"

The voice sounded familiar, he couldn't quite place it, but then it got louder and he could make out who it was.

"Artorias!" it was Ciaran, he wondered what she was doing here. Then he remembered all that had happened. He had been given a second chance, surrounded by his allies in a new world. This dream, real as it seemed, was immaterial, and he needed to join the waking world. It was then that he opened his eyes, and he saw her, standing at his bedside with a look of worry on her face. Sitting up, he placed a hand on her shoulder to ease her worry.

"Forgive me, Ciaran. It would seem my past haunts me even in my dreams, and I have caused thee discomfort."

With watery eyes she replied, "My lord Artorias, thou has caused no discomfort to me. Instead I feared for thee. Thou cried out, speaking of the abyss, and I feared that the darkness had yet a hold on thee."

"I shall always carry a piece of the darkness within me, such is my fate." He said. Then he looked into her eyes and smiled, "But the darkness holdeth no sway over me, cut off from its origins in this strange world."

She allowed a small smile to form on her face as she spoke, "Then I am glad, for thou art most precious to me."

In that moment, Artorias felt a faint flutter in his heart, and though the morning was young and the light dim, he could have sworn he saw a faint red tinge on Ciaran's face. They sat there for an indeterminate amount of time, each enjoying the company of the other. They observed the sun rising outside the window, in all its radiance.

"This realm is quite nice, I may yet grow fond of it." Said Artorias

"Indeed, the light shines unabated, and no beast of this land can touch its glory." Ciaran added.

"Yet still, even in a land such as this, darkness seeks to extinguish it." He continued with a long sigh. "There is much that we must do, if this land is to be cleansed of evil." He finished, turning to face her.

"Indeed, but thou shall not be alone in thy task." She said, turning her head to face him as well, a smile ever present on her face.

It was a calm scene, maybe even a little sweet and romantic. Therefore it makes sense that it lasted a very short time before a rather boisterous interruption.

"Master Artorias! The baths created by the people of this land are quite intruiging!" Shouted a rather excited Sif.

Ciaran was the first to turn towards the interruption, only to immediately turn around and slap her hand over Artorias' eyes.

"Ciaran, why hast thou covered mine eyes?"

"My lord." She replied, "It would be unwise for you to gaze upon Sif in her… unpresentable state."

Before he could ask what she meant, Sif spoke up in a tone of understanding.

"Oh yes, of course. Forgive me master Artorias, I am still unused to this form and its requirements. I shall clothe myself at once."

That last sentence sent his heart beating at a much faster rate. He had come very close to observing a maidens- _No. No. Sif is thy companion, and thou shant have impure thoughts on such matters_. A few minutes later, Ciaran deemed it safe to release her hand from his face, and he finally took a proper look around the room. Overall he had considered the quarters satisfactory. There was a bed for each of them, a carpet along the entirety of the floor, a lavatory which, after a visit down the hall to the other teams, they had learned involved a manner of something they called "indoor plumbing," and a very peculiar bath that had an implement that hung on the wall, which they had learned could be used to wash ones hair. It was all fascinating to the knight, and he began to wonder what other mechanical marvels this world harbored. After making use of said facilities, he then noticed something which quite frankly he felt ridiculous for not seeing before.

"Ciaran, Gough is absent, where hast he gone?" he asked

"He and I awoke when thou started to cry out in thy dreams. I told him that I would wait by thee, and he left to be outside."

Her answer did not surprise him much. Gough was a hunter as much as he was a knight, much preferring to remain outdoors most times. _Probably sought out a tree to practice his woodcarving_. Artorias always thought Gough would have been a talented craftsman if he had more time to spend on the task, he was even on good terms with the giant blacksmith in Annor Londo. Before he could continue his musings, there was a knock on the door. Opening the door he was greeted by a face he had become familiar with yesterday.

"Good morrow lady Rose, what business hast thou with me this day?" he asked in a friendly manner. His formal way of addressing her brought a blush to her cheeks before she composed herself and responded.

"Oh… um, we were wondering- erm I mean, we would be delighted if thou would wish to, um, partake in the eating of breakfast?" she queried, trying her best to mimic his speech patterns. This brought a smile and a chuckle to Artorias as he responded.

"Of course lady Rose, we would greatly desire to, as I believe thou said once before, 'hang out' with thy companions."

"Cool! Well if you're ready, we were about to head over to eat right now." She said before seven other young students emerged from their rooms with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Before anyone else could speak though, their towering ally returned.

"Ah, thou hast awakened Artorias." Gough said while he resumed his idle habit of wood carving.

Artorias smiled as he answered his fellow knight, "The night troubles me no longer friend. Now let us be off to our morning meal, the young lady Rose has invited us to accompany them."

"It is a good time for sustenance. I shall wait out here whilst you inform our companions."

Turning around to see Ciaran attempting to teach Sif the finer points of hair maintenance, Artorias sported a grin as he spoke.

"Ciaran. Sif. Let us be off to partake in our morning meal, we shall be joining our new friends at their table."

Both girls sported bright smiles on their faces as they made to follow him.

"At once, my lord."

"Yes, master Artorias!"

Following their new acquaintances to the cafeteria, Artorias took note of many of the things he had ignored the previous day in his desire for rest. The scope of this academy was grand, and the amount of people going to and fro was large as well. He was filled with both surprise and joy to see that so many of this worlds inhabitants were training to become competent fighters, and if they were all as adept as their new friends, well… he had more faith in the future of this realm.

Reaching the great hall of the cafeteria, they were ushered to a table by Ruby and Jaune, who stated that they would bring them each a meal that contained samples of the various types of food they had. They returned not long after with said plates and began to delve into discussions while they ate.

"So thou means to say that you partake of this hardened grain in a bowl, then pour milk upon it, and it is called 'cereal'?" asked Artorias.

"Yeah," Replied Jaune, "but it isn't as good as having an actual cooked breakfast. Usually we only eat it if we don't have time to make something, but since we were trying to bring a little bit of everything I figured we'd include that too."

Taking a bite of the substance, he could understand why. It wasn't distasteful, but compared to many of the other things they had sampled, it simply did not seem to compare. Especially the 'pancakes' that Sif seemed to be absolutely enamored with at the moment.

"Master Artorias, these taste wonderful, I think I would not mind having these each and every day!" she said in between bites.

"See? I told you pancakes were the best!" shouted the boisterous Nora from across the table, excited to have a pancake buddy.

Artorias could only smile and pat Sif on the head as was his usual habit when she grew excited. However, he noticed a curious, and almost hostile, stare coming from the raven haired girl sitting at the table.

"Doth something trouble thee, Blake?" he asked.

"I'm just curious. You pat her on the head, and she calls you master. It's almost like your treating her as if she were no better than a pet." She replied, a small tone of venom in her voice.

After considering her words, he felt it best to explain Sif's situation properly, before further misunderstandings arose between them.

"I understand why thou wouldst be upset by such a gesture. However, Sif did not always inhabit the form you see here. No such creatures as faunus exist in the realm from which we came. Indeed, she was born as a great wolf, whom I raised ever since her first breath. I care greatly for her as the one who raised her, and she has ever faithfully remained at my side all these years."

Blake's face changed from one of unrest to one of shock. Whatever answer she had been expecting from him, he had most certainly surprised her.

"The way you talk about her, it almost makes you sound like you're her father."

He didn't need to even consider her words for a moment before his reply, "Are not all caretakers father to their charges?"

She smiled at his last question, glad that for all the knowledge he lacked about faunus, he seemed at the very least to hold no ill will towards them.

"Master Artorias, I shall go claim more of these pancakes for my meal." Sif said, "Doth thou desire more as well?"

"Nay, Sif, I am finished with my meal. Off with thee, enjoy as many as thou desires."

She wasted no time in hurrying over to get in line for pancakes again, chatting with Nora who stood there as well.

"My lord." He heard Ciaran call from his left. "After we have finished here, I would very much like to delve into the archives they possess here. The knowledge contained there would be of great use to us in acclimating to this realm." Before Artorias could respond, Blake chimed in from across the table.

"I can help you with that. I go to the library a lot, if there's a specific thing you're interested in, I can probably help you find it."

"I am grateful Blake. Then shall we-" her next question was cut off by a loud yelp from the cafeteria line.

"Release my tail!" Artorias looked over and saw a four young lads surrounding Sif, being lead by a person wearing grey armor who had chestnut colored hair. He then noticed that the rest of the students at the table all eyed the four boys lividly. Without another moment of hesitation, he stood up from the table and made his way over to them, shoving his way in between the tall boy and Sif.

"I would request that thou leavest my companion alone stranger." He said sternly.

The only reply he got was a chorus of laughs from the boys before their leader spoke, "First we got this stupid faunus over here, and now a guy who sounds like he stepped out of a time machine. Man, what freaks are you guys anyway?"

His laughter was abruptly cut off when he was quickly restrained with a dagger pressed close to his neck.

"Thou would do well to not speak ill of my lord, or thou may not find thyself in good health much longer." Stated a calm Ciaran, the only sign of her rage being her murderous glare towards the other three boys of the group. They eyed her cautiously, until a deep voice spoke up behind them.

"Heed her words, little ones, the Lord's Blade maketh no idle threats." Said Gough as he stood at his full height, making a show of slowly dragging his knife across the piece of wood in his hands, letting the sound of the blade drag out as he spoke.

Ciaran decided that she had gotten her point across and released the boy in the direction of his friends, but not before directing one last malicious gaze towards him that sent shivers up his spine.

"Whatever," he said arrogantly, a slight crack in his voice betraying the fear he tried to mask, "let's get out of here, this got boring anyway."

With that, they left the cafeteria, and Artorias turned his attention towards Sif.

"Art thou well, Sif?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, master Artorias. I did not doubt my skill that I could have faced them, but I feared that such action would not be warmly accepted by our hosts."

As if to settle her mind, Nora spoke up now that the ordeal was over.

"Pfffft, nah. You totally shoulda broken his legs!" she said cheerily, as if it were a normal occurrence.

Gough let out a laugh before responding, "I shall be sure to do so when next someone seeks to cause us discomfort."

"Come," Artorias said, "Let us resume our conversation with our friends."

Returning to the table, they saw several approving looks from the group.

"Serves Cardin right for being a big dumb bully." Ruby said, sticking her tongue in the direction said bullies had gone.

"Truly? I shall recall that next time he and I have the misfortune to cross paths." Artorias commented. Then another bit of curiosity struck him as he recalled this place was an academy.

"Thou art students, yes?" he asked. This was met with unanimous nods across the group. "Then what class doth thou have first on this day?"

"Oh that's right! Today is a bit special since you guys showed up." Ruby said. "Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch said they wanted to see how you guys fight, so we've got an improvised combat class first today."

Artorias felt his adrenaline kick in ever so slightly at that. "We shall be sparring today, lady Rose?"

Still blushing at the constant use of formal address, she replied. "Yeah, but I'm not sure who she wants to match you guys up with yet."

"And on that note," Weiss chimed in, "we should start heading over there. Class will be starting soon."

As they made their way over to the amphitheater where spars took place, the four of them each had their own ways of showing their excitement at the prospect of testing themselves against each of these warriors. Artorias especially, as he was eager to learn the various ways in which each of them fought. Back in Lordran, when he was not on a mission for his lord, one of his favorite things to do was to partake in friendly sparring. The thought of engaging in his favorite pastime again brought him joy. Even more so when he crossed the threshold and witnessed the arena in which he would fight.

Upon entering the amphitheater, Professor Goodwitch turned to acknowledge their arrival.

"Good morning, and welcome to combat class."

* * *

 **And now, the fight scene. Sorry this one took a bit longer to get out. I couldn't quite figure out where i wanted to end it at, and it wound up being a bit longer than the previous chapters. As for some of the comments about requesting additional Dark Souls characters in the story, I may mention them in passing, but for the sake of the narrative, it is unlikely that I will add any new characters to the story, simply because they wouldn't mesh well with the current ones. Lord knows I was tempted, especially with characters like Solaire (Praise the Sun!) and Siegmeyer (Perish foul creature!), as well as Oscar, and the often overlooked Black Iron Tarkus. I did have an idea at one point to use them, but they would not fit well in a world like Remnant without a serious case of power ups, which I feel would ruin the characters. The reason Artorias, Gough, Ciaran, and Sif work so well as heroes in this story is that they already have enhanced strength and special powers, thus making their adaptation to a world with other powerful beings a smooth one.**

 **Once again, I hope you enjoy the story, and hopefully we'll all see chapter 4 next week.**


	4. Soul of a Warrior

**Soul of a Warrior**

The arena brought fond memories to the forefront of Artorias mind. The clashing of steel, the sweat on his brow, and the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he felt the rush of combat. He could hardly contain the smile forming on his face, and looking at his companions, he could tell that they too were eager to test themselves against this worlds warriors. At the height of his anticipation, Professor Goodwitch walked up to them.

"I'm glad that you're all able to join us today. I'll admit I know very little about your styles of combat apart from the equipment you have. Before I begin, I've noticed that while you are strong, you don't have aura in the same way as we do. If you don't mind, I would like to rectify that right now." She walked up to Artorias first, placing one hand on his shoulder and another on his chest, and began to utter the age old incantation. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

As she finished uttering the phrase, he began to glow brightly, but there was also a faint shadow that he could feel creeping from the depths of his soul. When it was all done, he felt different, somehow as if a part of him had been freed. Which part, however, is what concerned him.

Moving on to do the same for the other three. Gough seemed quite intrigued by the newfound power it brought on.

"Interesting," he stated, "this power greatly resembles the soul arts possessed in our realm."

"Indeed," Ciaran added, "I wonder what we might be capable of now that we have gained such control over our souls."

Once they finished their musings, Professor Goodwitch addressed them again.

"Is there anyone in particular from team RWBY or JNPR that you would like to spar with?" she asked, with an audible strain in her voice.

"Art thou well Lady Goodwitch?" Artorias asked.

"Yes, I'm alright. It's just that unlocking the aura of four people in such a brief span is a bit taxing. I'll be fine though, don't worry."

Deciding to trust her at her word, he turned to his companions, awaiting their answers first, having his own thought in mind as to who he wished to challenge. Gough was the first to speak.

"Doth any of thy students possess great quantities of physical strength?" he asked.

Artorias understood his query. It wouldn't do to have him fight someone if they were unable to hold up to the monstrous strength of his blows.

"Both Ms. Xiao Long and Ms. Valkyrie are physically strong." She responded. "Which would you prefer to fight?"

Taking a moment to think, he gazed over at the two girls in question, recalling their performance in the forest yesterday. While he did recognize that the orange haired girl was quite strong, he remembered the fire burning within the blonde fighter yesterday.

"I shall fight lady Xiao Long if it pleases thee."

Having spoken his piece, Ciaran was next as she recalled someone who possessed a very similar skillset to hers.

"If I may, I wouldst greatly desire single combat with her." She said, pointing at Blake in the stands.

"Ms. Belladonna?" Goodwitch noted. "Very well, you two can go after your friend."

It was Sif's turn to speak up, ever the picture of excitement.

"Oh! Oh! If Gough shall not fight Nora, may I face her then?" she asked, eager to test the skills of someone who was quickly becoming a new friend.

"Yes, young lady, you can go after your friends have fought." Then she turned to Artorias. "Is there anyone in particular you would like to fight?" she asked.

He mulled it over for a moment, his gaze crossing over each of them in turn, before settling on the blonde swordsman. He recalled what Gough had said the day before, an individual with a soul powerful enough to catch his attention. Turning first to Gough, who almost immediately seemed to sense his thoughts, they both nodded and he turned to the blonde professor.

"If I may, I wouldst be most honored to spar with the swordsman, Jaune."

After his request, he noticed the aforementioned student seemed to hear him. Rather than a look of anticipation that he expected however, he saw what looked to be nervousness, perhaps even fear. Strange, if Jaune truly possessed so radiant a soul, he wondered what gave the boy pause.

"Very well, then if you don't mind, we'll begin." She said, turning to face the rest of the students. "Ms. Xiao Long, would you please come down to the stage."

As they stood at opposite ends of the arena, each could sense the others excitement. Yang loved a challenge, and a guy who was able to kill a Nevermore in a single hit. Sure she's punched some Ursai around pretty handily herself, but a Nevermore was a lot stronger than that. She saw that he left his bow in the stands next to his friends. That didn't surprise her, a bow wouldn't do much good in close quarters after all. Waiting for the signal to begin, she began settling into her stance. As it turns out she would not have to wait long.

"Begin!" Professor Goodwitch said firmly.

In moments she was across the arena and engaging him. However, as she delivered her first punch, her arm recoiled from the resistance that she met. Hitting him felt like she was punching concrete. Before she had time to react, he initiated his own strike, a right hook. She was barely able to get her arms up in time to block the strike, and even then it sent her flying to the other end of the arena. When she stood back up she noticed him with a determined look in his eyes.

"Come, warrior. Show me the fire in your soul." He said.

Considering the situation, she figured it would be best to oblige him. Triggering her semblance, her eyes shifting to a blood red, and her glowing mane radiating flames. Gough let himself smile a little as he went to meet her in the middle to exchange blows.

The brawl, for at this point with how close they were engaged it could only be called such, went on for several minutes. They exchanged dozens of blows back and forth, blocking most, while the ones that did get through were somewhat lacking in power. Eventually they broke free of the furious exchange that they were locked in, resuming a circling pace around the middle while facing each other.

Checking the board, they could see that both of them were almost out of aura. Gough was surprised, but still had a grin on his face. He had been right, the fire within this girl's soul burned brightly, and it granted her an abundance of strength. Readying himself, he knew that his victory or defeat would depend on this next strike. Judging by the look on Yang's face, she knew it as well, and without missing a beat, they went at each other for the final strike. His fist collided with hers, and the shockwave sent them both backwards, landing on opposite sides of the arena.

"The match is concluded. Ms. Xiao Long's aura is now in the red, while Mr. Gough has maintained enough aura to be considered the victor." Announced Goodwitch.

Gough couldn't keep the grin from his face. This fight had been entertaining to him. Before he left the arena however, he had one bit of parting advice for the girl.

"Thou fighteth well, young one. Though thou hast poor control over the flame within thee for a pyromancer."

Yang could only stare confusedly at his statement. "What's a pyromancer?"

With all of the other differences this world had, her lack of knowledge on this matter reminded Gough that not all was as it used to be.

"One who has mastered the art of fire. Thou was able to harness it and use it to strengthen thy blows as I struck thee. Pyromancers are capable of many feats, but yours is one which I have not seen before."

"Heh, well you're full of surprises too. It felt like I was punching a brick wall."

"Indeed? Then my strength has not diminished along with my size."

He seemed to be on a roll for statements which confused the blonde. "What do you mean?"

"Before coming to this world, I was at least twice my current height."

After he said that, one could almost see Yang Xiao Long's eyes popping out of their sockets as they went wide. She found it hard to imagine that he was any bigger than the towering giant that he already was. Before she could ask him more questions, however, they were interrupted.

"Ms. Xiao Long," Professor Goodwitch said, "please set aside your curiosity for later. Ms. Ciaran and Ms. Belladonna require the stage."

Said combatants had already moved to the arena, patiently waiting for their friends to conclude their exchange. Once it was just the two of them left on the stage, they waited in silence, each attempting to gauge the other's ability.

"You may begin." Goodwitch announced.

Not a moment passed after her announcement before each of the combatants disappeared in a blink, clashing blades in the center of the arena. Blake with the blade of Gambol Shroud in her right hand, while Ciaran held the dazzling Gold Tracer in her left. Blake was surprised that someone who leaned more towards a stealthy style like her own would use such a bright and gaudy blade. It was only her sensitive hearing that notified her of the second blade coming around in Ciaran's right hand, and Blake was forced to block with her sheath using her left, leaving her with her arms crossed as she saw the dark serrated blade, Dark Silver Tracer, clashing with her sheath.

This stalemate continued for several moments, until Ciaran took the initiative, kicking out at Blake and using the momentary distraction to strike. Seeing the incoming blow, Blake activated her semblance, leaping back from the blow. The unique sight nearly bewildered the Lord's Blade, just barely blocking the strike that came in her moment of pause. The next few moments would seem to most observers as a clash of blurs, each striking faster than most could eyes could keep up with. Only Professor Goodwitch and Ruby could manage to make out what was happening, the former due to a lifetime of experience, and the latter thanks to her own semblance.

It was a furious exchange of blows, counterblows, dodges, and blocks, neither able to gain the upper hand. This continued for several minutes, a symphony of blades clashing against each other constantly. However, everyone has their limits to endurance, and Blake was swiftly approaching hers. She knew she would lose at the current pace, her opponent still barely showing any signs of exhaustion. It would all come down to one final gambit, taking everything she had left.

She poured the remainder her energy into creating as many clones as she could, attempting to disorient her opponent long enough to land the strike she needed. Going in for the strike, her opponents back open to her, she was unprepared for the very sudden roundhouse kick that was sent her way, causing her to sail through the air to the side of the arena. In that moment all of her clones vanished, and Professor Goodwitch stepped forward.

"That will be enough, Ms. Belladonna's aura is now in the red, and Ms. Ciaran is the victor."

Sheathing her blades, Ciaran approached Blake and offered a hand to her. After accepting it and being raised to her feet, she felt it prudent to indulge her curiosity on a particular matter.

"How did you know which one was me?" Blake asked her.

"Thou created nearly a perfect image of thyself in all of thy replications, but for one detail." She subtly lifted her gaze to Blake's bow. "Thou hath a particular movement in thy bow that was absent from the others. To most it would be unnoticeable, but to one such as I, twas as different to you as my blades to each other."

Blake was taken back at Ciaran's skill. Not many people noticed her bow, and she much preferred it that way. However, there was something she saw in this person that made her feel like a kindred spirit. "That was a good fight all the same. I wouldn't mind a rematch sometime.

Ciaran smiled as she replied, "Nor I."

Before either of them could say anything else, a pair of loud boisterous females spoke up from the audience.

"Nora Valkyrie!" yelled an incredibly eager Sif. "It would appear that it is now our turn to exchange blows. Wouldst thou do the honor of fighting me?"

"You got it!" Nora replied with equal enthusiasm, both of them now making their way to the arena. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

 **Cue the cliffhanger.**

 **In all seriousness though, sorry for this chapter taking longer. I'm not used to writing fight scenes as much, and I kept going back and forth trying to decide if they should be more powerful or on par. Given the fact that they weren't human before being sucked into the RWBYverse though, I opted for more powerful.**

 **I'm not proud to admit that I forgot to throw in the aura unlocking bit in earlier chapters, as it would have been more eloquent there than the thrown together mess it was here, but it needed to be established, and there was fighting gonna happen, so there we go.**

 **On another note, I should probably clearly establish that while the characters did come from the Dark Souls universe, that is about as far as the connection goes. Yes, their understanding of souls will change things a good bit in the RWBYverse, but I feel like it needs to be stated that they are entirely different universes. Just chalk it up to divine beings having a bit of fun and tossing people from one universe to another. If I decide to deepen the connection, and that's a very big if, it will be much later in the story, after they've had a chance to settle in to Remnant.**

 **Again, I'm glad that people enjoy reading this, and please do not be afraid to offer criticism, be it on the grammar or the lore. I'm trying to keep these characters as close their respective canons as possible, and I always did suck at the minor grammar bits of when to properly use apostrophes and commas. Anyway, thanks again for reading.**


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